The Illinois Cancer Council and Illinois Department of Public Health propose to collaborate to improve regional community care for cancer patients by introducing the oncology nurse into the present system of home care, as teacher of public health nurses and regional consultant to home health care agencies. The effectiveness of the imposition of this particular specialist on the existing network of home care will be evaluated by the following methods, using study and control home health agencies: analyzing nursing interventions and select patient events vis-a-vis problems emerging from specific cancers, changing public health nurse knowledge resulting from interaction with the oncology nurse, and changing utilization patterns in home health care agencies. Positive results from this demonstration model might encourage budgeting for oncology nurses statewide to improve home care for the increasing numbers of cancer patients.